eMusic intros UK MP3 download service

Untethered subscription package

US digital music supplier eMusic has launched its MP3 DRM-free download subscription service in the UK, and its attempting to tempt would-be buyers with a free two-week trial and 25 free downloads.

Over here, eMusic currently has some 1m tracks on offer, most of them from independent music labels. Songs are not available as one-off downloads: subscribers can download any number of tracks up to the limit specified by their monthly plan.

A £9 a month subscription buys up to 40 downloads in a given 30-day period, rising to 65 and 90 songs if you're willing to spend £12 and £15, respectively. If you don't use all your allotted downloads, any left over are not added to the following month's total.

However, unlike subscription services from Napster, Virgin Digital and the like, if you cancel your subscription, you can still continue to listen to the songs you've downloaded. Any they'll play on almost any device, from iPods to lesser known players. Tracks are transferred using eMusic's own Download Manager app, which runs on Windows PCs and Macs.

The trial period runs for two weeks and encompasses up to 25 downloads, but you still have to register a valid credit card with the company. More details here. ®